Two valuable genes for durum wheat breeding, i.e. Lr19 (leaf-rust resistance) and Yp (yellow endosperm pigmentation), closely linked on the 7AgL chromosome arm of the perennial wheatgrass species Thinopyrum ponticum, have been transferred to the 7AL durum wheat arm by chromosome engineering. Using a ‘NBS profiling’ assay to target Lr19, and a comparative genomics approach for Yp, candidate genes for both traits have been identified.